Door check and closer.



No. 658,5I9. P atenteds ept. 25, I900.

W. H. TAYLOR. D003 CHECK AND CLOSER.

(Application. filed June 11, 1900.) I (No Model.) v -2 Sheets-Shoot I ""Imnn WITNESSES INVENTOR am 6 Altormy mom'umou WASHINGYON n c No. 658,-5I9. Patented Sept. 25, I900.

w. H. TAYLOR.

DOOR CHECK AND CLOSER.

(Application filed June 11, 1900.) (No llodel.) 2 Shea tsSheet 2.

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Unwrap STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WARREN H. TAYLOR, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE YALE do TOWNE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

DOOR CHECK AND CLOSER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 658,519, dated September 25, 1900.

Application filed June 11, 1900. Serial No. 19.919. LNo model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WARREN H. TAYLOR, of Stamford, in the countyof Fairfield and State of Connecticut,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door Checks and Closers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in door checks and closers,and more particularly to devices for regulating the tension of the closing-sprin g; and it consists in the parts and combinations of parts, as will be more fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal section of a combined check and closer embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of same. Fig. 3 is a view in plan of the worm-carrying frame. Fig. 4 is a view in plan and one in section showing the lazy-arm. Fig. 5 is a view in plan and one in section of the stop. Fig. 6 is a view of the plate or cover to which the worm-holding framen's secured. Fig. 7 is a view in plan of the spring-arbor, and Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are views of a modified form.

For the purpose'of illustration I have shown my present improvement in connection with the door check and closer described and claimed in my application filed April 25, 1900, Serial No. 14,341; but I would have it understood that I do not confine its use or application to such check, but claim it in combination with any form of combined check and closer.

A represents a horizontal cylindrical casing closed at its ends by screw-caps a and provided on its top with a cylindrical chamber B and with wings or lips b, having screw-holes therein for the attachment of the same to a door. Passing through the chamber 13 is the shaft D, the latter being mounted in suitable bearings and securely packed to prevent the passage of the liquid from the chamber A to the chamber B. Secured to the lower end of shaft D is the crank E, carrying pitman E, to which piston E is secured. This piston is provided with a valve therein which permits the liquid to pass freely through the piston when the latter is moving toward the shaft, as it does during the act of opening the door, while the by-pass F provides for the escape of the liquid from in front of the piston during the return movement of the latter or during the closing movement of the door. The shaft D passes upwardly through cylinder B and is provided with an angular upper end, on which lever Gis secured. This lever .G is jointed in the usual manner, and the pivoted knuckle on the free end thereof is secured by screws to the door frame or jamb. By opening the door the shaft will be rotated and the piston moved toward the shaft, and by closing the door the piston will be moved toward the end of its cylinder.

Located within the spring-chamber B and surroundingthe shaft D is the winding gearsleeve H,the latter being provided at its upper end with the worm-wheel I, adapted to be engaged bythe worm L, carried by the frame L.

Located within the spring-chamber B and surrounding the gear sleeve H is the cam sleeve or arbor J. This sleeve or arbor is provided internally with a spline j, which rests within an external groove j in the sleeve II, and externally with a shoulder 7' against which the inner end of the spring, bears. With this construction by removing the cap on chamber B and turning the spring end for end or upside down the check or closer is converted from, say, a right-hand door to a lefthand door. The spring is coiled around the sleeve J, and the relative positions of the sleeve and spring are always the same, and when the spring is removed and turned upside down to change the hand of the closer the sleeve is also turned. The shape of the sleeve J is that of a cam with a shoulder 3' which engages the bent inner end of the spring.

When the gear-sleeve is in position within the spring arbor or sleeve J, it is obvious that if the gear-sleeve be turned in one direction it will tend to wind up the spring, and if turned in the other direction itwill simply revolve sleeve J without exerting any force on the spring. Hence if the check or closer be. assembled for a right-hand door and it should be applied to a left-hand door the end of the spring would simply pass over the surface of the sleeve J, and the failure of the spring to act would show at once that the parts were not properly assembled.

The worm L is mounted in the frame L, the angular ends of the worm-shaft projecting beyond the sides of the frame for the attachment of a key, wrench, or other device for turning the worm. This frame L is made of two sections, as shown in Fig. 1, and these two sections are secured together and to the plate L by the rivets 'm. This plate or cover rests on'the flange m of the cap or chamber B and under the gear-wheel I, and hence is free to turn on said flange as the lever G- is moved.

The worm L, carried by the frame L, is always in mesh with gear-wheel I, and the latter carries a pin n, which engages the lazyarm N, mounted loosely on the shaft D and adapted to engage the stop N, carried by the frame L. This regulating device which gives initial tension to the spring is one of the principal features of this application. In the forms of checks and closers now in use when it is desired to give initial tension to the spring the lever-arm is first discon nected from the ratchet-Wheel and wound up by a wrench. When a sufficient tension has thus been secured, the pawl or other connecting device is thrown into engagement with the ratchetwheel and the action is then complete.

One feature of my improvement consists in substituting a permanent connection in place of the detachable pawl-and-ratchet wheel,and another important feature consists in devices for preventing overwinding of the spring. This latter is of great importance, for the reason that after the spring has been wound to give it the initial tension there must, in order that the apparatus may be operative, be left at least sufficient freedom of the coils of the spring to permit of a half-turn of the door to which it is attached.

It will be seen that if the spring be fully wound by the wrench or by the worm and gear and then set the opening of the door will either cause a fracture of the spring or the check itself.

My improved device substitutes for the pawl and ratchet a worm and gear, the worm, as before stated, being journaled in the frame surrounding the head of the shaft. The lever G is secured to the head of the shaft in the ordinary manner and is connected to the frame L by the pin L which enters an openingin the shaft. Hence when the lever G is moved by the movements of the door the shaft D and frame L are also moved, and as the frame L is locked to the, gear-sleeve by the worm it follows that the sleeve is also turned and opera tes through the arbor to compress the spring.

To give initial tension to the spring, a key or other device is placed on the end of the worm-shaft and turned, thus turning the worm and winding up the spring until the lazy-arm moved by the pin a, projecting from the wormwheel I, strikes the stop N. This stop is so positioned with relation to the other parts that overwinding of the spring is impossible.

To change the hand of the check and closer, or, in other words, to convert the check and closer from, say, right hand to left hand, it is first necessary to remove the lever-arm G, the frame L, carrying the worm-wheel, and the top cap of chamber B. The spring and its arbor should then be turned upside down and the parts replaced. Now by turning the worm in the reverse direction the gear will be revolved, carrying the pin n with it, which will in turn engage theother side of the lazy-arm and carry same until it engages the other side of stop N. Of course the winding may stop at any point short of the stop and will be held firmly by the worm without the use of a pawl or any other device.

My improved device for preventing overwinding may be used in connection with the worm and gear above described, or it may be used in connection with a pawland-ratchet connection between the spring-sleeve and lever, and when used in connection with the pawl-and-ratchet connection it will be necessary to give the initial tension to the spring by a wrench or spanner such as is employed on the door-checks now in common use.

In Figs. 8 and 9 I have shown a modified form of parts for preventing overwinding of the spring designed for use with the ordinary pawl andratchet connection between the spring-sleeve and lever. In these figures, as also in Fig. 10, I employ an ordinary ratchetwheel I instead of a worm-wheel and provide the cap 13 with a stop N with which the lazyarin N makes contact. This lazy-arm rests on the cap B of the upper chamber B and is identical in construction with the arm Nemployed in connection with the construction disclosed in Fig. 1, except that the body portion is made larger, so as to embrace the flange b of the cap B. This armN rests on the cap .B within the path of the stop N and one tooth of the ratchet-wheel I is provided with a depending lug i, which latter engages the lazy-arm and moves same toward the stop N From this it will be seen that by applying a wrench or spanner to the ratchet-wheel the latter can be turned in a direction to impart initial tension to the spring, the lazy-arm and stop and lug before referred to absolutely preventing overwinding. When these parts are thus brought into contact, the ratchetwheel I and shaft D are locked together by the pawl I which in the present instance is shown as a double pawl projecting from both sides of the lever, so as to be operative with the lever G either side up. The form of pawl, however, is totally immaterial and forms no part of my present invention.

It is evident that many slight changes might be resorted to in the relative arrangement of parts shown and described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Hence I would have it understood that I do (seat 5 not Wish to limit myself to the exact eonstruc- I cured to the head of the shaft and connected tion of parts herein shown and described; bu t,

Having fully described my invention,What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a combined door check and closer the combination with a liquid-chamber, apiston therein, a spring-chamber, a spring therein and a shaft connected to the piston, of a lever connected to the shaft, and a Worm and gear connecting the spring and lever.

2. In a combined door check and closer the combination With a liquid-chamber, a piston therein, a spring-chamber, a spring therein, and a shaft connected to the piston, of alever secured to the shaft, and a Worm and gear connected to the spring and detachably connected to the lever.

3. In a combined door check and closer the combination with a liquid-chamber, a piston therein, a spring-chamber, a spring therein, and a shaft connected to the piston, of a lever secured to the shaft and a Worm and gear detachably connected to the spring and also to the lever.

4. In a combined door check and closer the combination with a liquid-chamber, a piston therein, a spring-chamber, a spring therein and a shaft connected to the piston, of a lever secured to the shaft, a gear and its sleeve the latter connected to the spring, and a movable frame detachably connected to the lever and carrying means permanently in engagement with the gear for rotating the latter Within the movable frame.

5. In a combined door check and closer, the combination with a liquid-chamber, a piston therein, a spring-chamber, a spring therein and a shaft connected to the piston, of a gear and connected sleeve the latter connected to the spring a movable frame mounted on the gear-sleeve, a worm carried by said frame and meshing with the gear and a lever seto the frame.

6. In a combined door check and closer the combination with a liquid-chamber, a piston therein, a spring-chamber, a spring therein, and a shaft connected to the piston, of an tegral gear and sleeve the latter being 0on neeted to the spring, a frame mounted on the sleeve, a worm joiirnaled insaid frame,means for preventing overwinding of. the spring and a lever connected to said shaft and frame.

7. In a combined door check and clo'ser,the combination with a liquid chamber, a piston therein; a spring-chamber, a spring therein, and a shaft connected to the piston, of a sleeve embracing the shaft and connected to the spring, a gear integral with the sleeve, a frame mounted on the sleeve, a Worm carried by said frame, a stop on the gear, a stop on the frame and a lazy-arm adapted to be engaged by said stop for preventing initial overwinding of the spring. I

8. Ina combined door check and closer the combination with a sleeve, aspring connected thereto, a shaft, a lever secured to the shaft and means connecting the leverand sleeve, of means for limiting the movement of the spring-sleeve while imparting initial tension to the spring.

9. In a combined door check and closer,the combination With a sleeve, a spring connected thereto, aspring-chamber, a shaft, a lever secured to the shaft and means for detachably connecting the lever and sleeve, of a lazy-arm engaged by a stop on the sleeve and a stop for limiting the movement of the lazy-arm.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WARREN H. TAYLOR.

Witnesses:

SoHUYLER MERRITT, WILLIAM P. MosELY. 

